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Community-Based Approaches to Water and Sanitation:
A Survey of Best, Worst, and Emerging Practices
By John Oldfield

John Oldfield examines what is inarguably one of the world’s most important, timely challenges: unsafe water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene in small villages throughout the developing world. Through on a combination of research and interviews with leaders from selected NGOs in the water sector—including WaterPartners International, Water For People, WaterAid, Living Water International, CARE, and the Hilton Foundation—he provides a ground-level review of small-scale and rural projects, incorporating case studies that highlight best, worst, and breakthrough practices in the sector. His findings include the conclusion that while community-based small-scale solutions can work well, the most successful projects focus not just on supplying water, but also on sanitation and hygiene, which often are more immediate causes of death or illness.